Embers of the Holy War

Lady Luck Is Not On His Side

Pushing open the door, Guang gave one final wave to the lady. "Thank you, miss! Have a nice day ahead!"

The lady, on her part, curtly bowed. "Master Sui and the Black Lotus will always be looking after you, Master Guang."

Guang laughed boisterously. The lady and her cryptic words. "See you!"

The moment he stepped outside, his lungs cried out in relief at being able to relish in clean air once more. Raising his hand, he shielded his eyes from the warm, orange rays of the evening sun. Damn, he hadn't realised how much time had passed.

However, not even the time of the day could quell out Guang's burning enthusiasm. Now that he had a lead, he was so fired up that it was all he could do to not burst out into flames. Beaming, he gave himself a fistpump.

"Alright!" he shouted to himself, startling a few strangers. "You got this, Guang!"

Without further ado, Guang went to the church with a spring in his step. So cheery he was that he energetically greeted every single stranger he came across. On top of finding a clue about Sui's whereabouts, he was also excited to visit the church because of its historical value.

All churches in the nation of Alca served as memorials of the Hero Rayler. Who was Hero Rayler, you might wonder? Hero Rayler was the one and only man who defeated the demon king at the cost of his own life, ending the horrendous holy war from a century ago. The world as it was now was built on his sacrifice, and everyone, Guang included, was grateful to the hero for his noble deeds. Therefore, like a fan about to meet his favourite idol, Guang couldn't wait to visit the church.

By the time he had arrived, the sun had already set, giving way to the moon and the stars. Upon setting his eyes on the church illuminated by the moonlight, Guang whistled impressively. To the Guang who has never set foot outside of the manor, simply the sight of an ordinary church was breathtaking. After all, it was one of the many places he had wanted to visit. Before this, he could only see this very same church on a piece of photo, but now he was here, right before the very building itself. 

The building had been here for some time, if the peeled painting were to say anything about it. Nevertheless, it was obvious the place was well-tended to, as evident by the neatly trimmed grass, the potted plants and the sparkling stained glass. A few children were running around, giggling and laughing without a care in the world. A freckled sister with braided hair was in their midst, smiling as she watched them.

As the person affiliated with the church that Guang had spotted, Guang made a straight beeline to her. For some reason, upon spotting him, the children stopped running around. Instead, they huddled around nearby, whispering to each other while eyeing him. Huh, whatever, weird kids. Still, he approached the sister, making sure to not appear threatening. When he was close enough, the young sister looked up, tilting her head in inquiry.

"Do you need help with something, sir?"

Oh my hero. She talked to him. Unlike every single person whom he had met today (with the exception of the shopkeeper), her first thought was not to run away. So grateful he was that he teared up a little.

The sister, however, was at a loss. "Mister-?"

"Sorry, it's just, you were the first person to not avoid me," he sniffed, rubbing his eyes. "I want to ask you something, sister, if you're free."

The sister's cheeks reddened as she hurriedly averted his eyes. "W-what is it, sir?"

The children instantly gasped, whispering even more furiously amongst each other.

Guang found her and the children's reaction amusing, but since the sister was still here, he took it that it wasn't a bad thing, so he continued, "Do you know anything about a man named-"

"HELP, SEND HELP! ANYONE, ANYONE PLEASE!"

...of course, at this most crucial time, he'll get interrupted by something.

Across the lake, a woman was madly running down the street, screaming her head off, clinging to anyone and everyone's clothing to get their attention. What a scene - Guang wondered what happened to make the woman act like that. Hold up. Upon squinting closer, she seemed rather familiar. Wasn't that Maria from the manor?!

Hurriedly, Guang bowed apologetically to the sister. "Sorry, sister, I've got to go."

Without looking back, he channelled his fire powers. His red, bushy hair lifted, transforming into a mane of flames. He could feel the flames resonating within him, filling him with power. With this power, he launched himself across the lake, the water paving way under his power. In a matter of a few seconds, he appeared right next to the maid.

"Oh, Master Guang!" the maid instantly wailed at his entrance. She clung onto him, dragging at his shirt. "Please, Master Guang, you need to go back to the Dragon Manor!"

Guang felt his blood run cold at the mention of the Dragon Manor. Did something happen to the manor? Was his mother, father and Jin safe? Seizing the maid's shoulders, he demanded, his voice trembling with panic, "What is it? What happened to the manor? Tell me!"

Terrified, the maid gulped, "It's the demon king...the Dragon Manor is under attack."